2-22-2026 4:46am

Beacon Hill Roll Call

Alan Earls Editor

If you have any questions about this week's report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562.

Volume 51 - Report No. 8

February 16-20, 2026

By Bob Katzen

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THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on local representatives' votes on roll calls from prior sessions. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week.

EARLIER READING INTERVENTION (H 4672)

House 23-131, rejected an amendment to a bill that would provide a framework for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to identify and approve a list of high-quality curricula that school districts will select from for kindergarten through third grade literacy.

The amendment would require early intervention by the school when a student is “at risk” of falling behind in reading skills. It would replace language that requires early intervention only when a student is already behind.

Amendment sponsor Rep. Alyson Sullivan-Almeida (R-Abington) said the amendment would make a small but significant change that would require schools to act proactively rather than waiting for significant underperformance before providing support for that child. She said that earlier intervention would give students a better chance of success.

Rep. Ken Gordon (D-Bedford) said the amendment will create a vague, non-precise and unenforceable standard. He said it is hard to determine when a student is “at risk” of falling behind.

(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.)

Rep. Jeffrey Roy No

SPECIAL COMMISSION ON FAMILY CAREGIVING (H 4704)

House 154-0, approved an amendment that would create a special legislative commission to conduct a comprehensive study on family caregiving policy in the Bay State including an evaluation of all state-funded efforts in caregiving research, clinical care, institutional and home-based and community-based services and an investigation into the potential fiscal, access and quality impacts of allowing spouses to serve as paid caregivers in the MassHealth program.

Amendment sponsor Rep. Mike Kushmerek (D-Fitchburg) said that one in ten Massachusetts residents serve as a caregiver to a loved one and noted this is one of the most important and difficult jobs. He said that the commission will work to find innovative ways to keep seniors aging in place at home and our young, disabled population in our communities with their families. He noted it will study ways to help the caregivers perform this overwhelming task.

He noted that his first-hand experience as a caregiver for his parents for ten years showed him how difficult the job is. He said it was among the best and most heartbreaking experiences of his lifetime. He said that you give up a part of yourself to be a caregiver. You do it because you love the people, and you do it because often there's nobody else. He noted that nothing could have prepared him for the job -- going from being a 22-year-old student focused on college parties and final exams to learning MassHealth waivers and leaning medication management. He noted that caregivers often do not have significant resources, support or education on how best to advocate for those they love.

(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)

Rep. Jeffrey Roy Yes

ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL

INCREASE TAX RELIEF TO VETERANS (S 1948) – The House, on a voice vote without a roll call, gave initial approval to a Senate-approved bill that would allow cities and towns to hike from the current $1,500 to $2,000, the property tax break for veterans and spouses of deceased or disabled veterans in exchange for their providing volunteer services to their municipality.

Supporters said that veteran and senior work-off programs were originally designed to operate in parallel but while the Legislature recently raised the senior cap to reflect rising costs of living, the veteran cap was not updated, creating an unintended disparity.

“Our veterans have already given so much in service to our nation, and they deserve to be able to remain in the communities they call home,” said the bill’s sponsor Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Provincetown). “For many veterans on Cape Cod, the Islands and across Massachusetts, rising property taxes are putting undue pressure on household budgets that are already razor thin. This bill gives communities a meaningful property tax relief tool while recognizing the service veterans have already given so they may live with the dignity they have earned.”

INCREASE PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION FOR SENIORS OVER 70 (H 3236) – The House, on a voice vote without a roll call, gave initial approval to a bill that would amend a current law that gives seniors 70 and older, who meet certain low-income qualifications, an exemption in the amount of $4,000 of taxable valuation of real property or the sum of $500, whichever would decrease the property tax by the most. The bill would allow a city or town to exercise a local option to increase the $4,000 to up to $8,000 and/or the $500 to up to $1,000; or by only increasing the $500 exemption to up to $2,000. The bill also retains current law that already permits cities and towns to reduce the age of eligibility to 65 or older.

“I filed this bill to make life a little more affordable for our senior citizens, by giving our cities and towns more flexibility to do so when it comes to property taxes,” said sponsor Rep. Adam Scanlon (D-North Attleborough). “Seniors who have done so much for our communities and have deep roots here should not be pushed out of their lifelong homes by property taxes. I want our towns to have the freedom to expand this senior property tax exemption to be able to get seniors this tax relief.”

PROPERTY TAX CAP FOR SENIORS 65 AND OLDER (H 3234) – The House, on a voice vote without a roll call, gave initial approval to a bill that would allow local cities and towns to impose a property tax cap for some homeowners ages 65 and older. The cap would freeze the property tax at its current rate if the senior has a federal adjusted gross income of no more than $50,000 for a single income household, and $60,000 or less if married; and assets of $75,000 or less not including his or her primary residence and motor vehicle.

“I sponsored this bill because homeowners who are 65 and older and living on fixed incomes should not be forced out of their homes by rising property taxes,” said sponsor Rep. Adrianne Ramos (D-North Andover). “Many seniors have spent decades contributing to their communities, and they deserve stability and predictability as they age. By limiting property tax increases for those who meet reasonable income and asset thresholds, this bill targets relief to the homeowners who need it most while maintaining fairness for taxpayers overall.”

BILL RUSSELL AND BOB COUSY HIGHWAY (H 3727) – The House, on a voice vote without a roll call, gave initial approval to Legislation that would name the portion of the Massachusetts Turnpike between Boston and Worcester, “The Bill Russell and Bob Cousy Highway.”

“I believe we should pay homage to celebrated Boston Celtics teammates and NBA champions, Bob Cousy and the late Bill Russell, who were not only exceptional athletes who brought many championships home to Boston, but who were also two great pillars of our community here in the commonwealth,” said sponsor Rep. David Linsky (D-Natick).

Linsky continued, “Bill Russell, as the first black coach in the NBA, was a frequent target of racially motivated harassment and abuse. Even as he received death threats and hate crimes from his own fan base, he courageously continued to pioneer player activism. Russell marched alongside civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Medgar Evans and continued to fight for civil rights his entire life. Bob Cousy was also much more than a basketball player. He played a tremendous role in organizing the first player’s union in the NBA which helped kickstart a new era of player empowerment in sports. Russell and Cousy both risked their careers and their lives to fight for what they believed in, and we should continue to honor them for their incredible work for our community.”

INFECTUOUS DISEASES (H 2836) – The House, on a voice vote without a roll call, gave initial approval to legislation that would provide that any condition of impairment of health caused by an infectious disease resulting in total or partial disability or death to an employee of a correctional facility would be presumed to have been suffered in the line of duty, unless shown otherwise by competent evidence.

"Corrections officers work in an inherently high-risk environment where close quarters and daily physical interactions make exposure to infectious disease an occupational hazard unlike almost any other profession,” said sponsor Rep. Mike Finn (D-West Springfield). “This legislation recognizes that reality by ensuring that when an officer gets sick, they aren't forced to fight a bureaucratic battle to prove where they contracted an illness that may be impossible to trace to a single exposure. It's the least we can do for the men and women who keep our correctional facilities safe."

HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION?

Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts.

Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been filed. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session.

During the week of February 16-20, the House met for a total of 36 minutes and the Senate met for a total of 40 minutes.

Mon. Feb. 16 No House session.

No Senate session.

Tues. Feb. 17 House 11:00 a.m. to 11:23 a.m.

Senate 11:02 a.m. to 11:27 a.m.

Wed. Feb. 18 No House session.

No Senate session.

Thurs. Feb. 19 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:14 a.m.

Senate 11:09 a.m. to 11:24 a.m.

Fri. Feb. 20 No House session.

No Senate session.

Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com